Criscuolo, Nicholas P

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Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy andLanguage ArtsVolume 20Issue 2 January 1980 Article 111-1-1980The Reading Center: A Valuable In-ServiceResourceNicholas P. CriscuoloNew Haven, Connecticut Public SchoolsFollow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/reading_horizonsPart of the Education CommonsThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by the SpecialEducation and Literacy Studies at ScholarWorks at WMU. It has beenaccepted for inclusion in Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy andLanguage Arts by an authorized editor of ScholarWorks at WMU. For moreinformation, please contact maira.bundza@wmich.edu.Recommended CitationCriscuolo, N. P. (1980). The Reading Center: A Valuable In-Service Resource. Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and LanguageArts, 20 (2). Retrieved from https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/reading_horizons/vol20/iss2/11THE READING CENTER: A VALUABLE IN-SERVICE RESOURCE Nicholas P. Criscuolo SUPERVISOR OF READING, NEW HAVEN (CONN.) PUBLIC SCHOOLS As school systt:'ms across tht:' country add reading pt:'rsonnel. tht:'re is an incrt:'asing need for spact:' in individual schools where tht:'y can work with childrt:'n. Older buildings are more crowdt:'d than newer ones, since an-cillary pt:'rsonnel have increased and the older buildings cannot ac-commodate tht:'m. Newer buildings do havt:' extra rooms where reading teachers can set up rt:'ading labs and resource rooms. The situation is not as crucial as it once was, howt:'ver, as declining t:'nrollmt:'nts have resultt:'d in unused classrooms which have now been assignt:'d to rt:'ading teachers where they can work in adequate surroundings. In addition to these reading rooms, there net:'ds to be a central facility for tht:' t:'ntire reading staff. This type of facility, which should be ct:'ntrally locatt:'d in the school district, is oftt:'n reft:'rrt:'d to as a Reading Center. It should not be confused with the type of facility operating in some school systems where children go for diagnostic screening. As used in this article, the Reading Centt:'r is a place where rt:'ading tt:'achers can meet as a staff to discuss their experiences and conduct meetings which help them keep abreast of the latt:'st dt:'velopments in the field of reading. In the Nt:'w Havt:'n public school systt:'m, a Reading Center has been set up at tht:' Betsy Ross Middle School. Monthly staff meetings are held for both elt:'mentary and secondary reading teachers. Because of the large staff (41 members), it is not ft:'asible to mt:'t:'t as a total group, although oc-casionally meetings of the entire staff art:' held there. The meetings held for reading personnel should be varied and planned cardully. Sales representatives can visit occasionally to display and discuss new materials and programs. Reading teachers can demonstrate some successful programs and approaches they havt:' been using. Various school pt:'rsonnel i.e., Supt:'rintt:'ndent of Schools, Director of Curriculum can also be invitt:'d to discuss tht:' rt:'ading program and exchange information with the staff. Members of tht:' Board of Education as well as members of the community can also be invited to attend a reading staff meeting. One technique the author has ust:'d successfully with his staff is to assign a journal artiele from a recent issue to a reading tt:'acher who summarizes its contents. This keeps the staff aware of current issues in the reading world and often leads to a lively exchange of ideas. The Rt:'ading Center is also a depository for books, kits and reading materials. Both classroom tt:'achers and reading teachers visit the Reading Ct:'ntt:'r and borrow tht:' materials for use in tht:' schools. They sign for the materials and are allowed to keep them for an unspecified pt:'riod of time. All materials a,t:' returned to the Center at the end of the school year. rh-141 Professional books and magazines are also available at the Reading Center for teachers who are enrolled in graduate courses or engaged in independent research to use. There is also a Reserve Shelf which has single copies of the latest basal series. These materials do not circulate. Additionally, the Reading Center has an extensive file of the latest publishers' catalogues which are used frequently by principals and reading teachers when ordering materials. This file of catalogues is kept up-to-date so that current prices can be quoted. More than a meeting place, the Reading Center also produces materials for the in-service development of both reading and classroom teachers. This material is written by staff members and published by the New Haven Reading Department. These materials consist of booklets, pamphlets, bulletins, brochures, etc. which are distributed to New Haven's 1,200 teachers. The following types of materials are available: 1. Questions Parents Ask About Reading 2. Enrichment Ideas in Reading 3. Guide to the Secondary Reading Program 4. Guidebook to Tutorial Programs in Reading 5. 120 Ideas to Motivate Reluctant Readers 6. Reading Readiness Activities 7. Reading Recipes for Parents 8. Homework Resource Activities Booklet 9. How You Can Help Your Child in Reading These materials are popular because they offer specific, concrete ideas for skills development. Many of the titles need to be reprinted annually. Several members of the Reading Department have been successful, on a competitive basis, in securing Title II Right to Read "mini grants" for reading. These grants carry a stipend of $1,500 and are awarded by writing an acceptable proposal dealing with creative ways to motivate youngsters to read through a variety of media and subject-matter disciplines. Reading staff members, who are also recipients of these grants, are now working on producing a filmstrip at the Reading Center which describes the content and conduct of each grant, highlighting its creative elements. The voice of the reading specialist is synchronized with the filmstrip. This filmstrip will be shown to PTA groups as a public relations effort and school staffs so that these elements can hopefully be incorporated into many classroom reading programs. Workshops are also held at the Reading Center. New materials are displayed and discussed. Additionally, make-it-and-take-it workshops are held where various reading games and learning devices are exhibited and explained. Materials such as construction paper, tagboard, glue, and newsprint are then:provided for the teachers to make these devices and take back with them for use with the children in the schools. Every school system should have a Reading Center, as it serves a real need. Surprisingly, many school systems do not have such a facility. In addition to providing a home for reading personnel which establishes a feeling of group-identity, it produces materials and conducts activities which foster professional growth and in-service development. 

The Reading Center: A Valuable In-Service Resource

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The Reading Center: A Valuable In-Service Resource

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